Social Media Use Is Up 300%
You probably don’t need a reminder that everyone is cooped up inside for an indefinite period of time. As the spread of COVID-19 forces social distancing and quarantines to continue for week upon week, people have been spending more time on social media as a way of maintaining contact with the outside world.
As a businessperson, you have a prime opportunity to engage with more people now that they’re all glued to their phones or computers. Even if you were a business that is deemed nonessential and forced to cease operations temporarily, you don’t want to pass up the opportunity to build your following, promote your brand and establish yourself as the best in your field.
Here are some best practices to keep in mind as you maintain your social media presence in the coming weeks. Not all of these will apply to you, but they’ll still be helpful in developing a plugged-in, digitally connected mindset.
Have fresh content as often as possible — at least once a day.
People are bored, and they want to be entertained. If you are consistently posting content, they’re going to appreciate it. Even those who wouldn’t normally be interested in your industry or who wouldn’t be your typical customer might find themselves checking your feed out of sheer curiosity.
Also, having more content means that there are more opportunities for people to see you, like your posts, and comment on your posts. In short, consistency throughout this period of boredom means you have more chances to swing the social media algorithms in your favor and expose yourself to a wider group of followers.
It is may be tough to keep up a social media presence when you are closed because, well, there’s not much going on that you can post about. Keep reading for ideas for fresh content, and how you can make the most of it.
Keep people in the loop.
A lot has changed about your business since the world started quarantining. What can you tell people about the way your operations have adjusted to meet the new way of living? Maybe you’re still open, but your hours have changed. Maybe you’ve had to close up, but you can still do deliveries. Maybe you’re spending the closure renovating your property or planning new products. In some way, your business still has something going on — let people know about it. Use text, photos and videos to tell your story. Which leads to…
Vary your content.
The same type of media isn’t going to appeal to everyone, so having a variety of posts — text, links, photos, and videos — will ensure you’re appealing to the broadest number of people. And to the person who enjoys consuming all types of media, well, you’re making sure they never get bored.
Remember that everything should be personable. Just because you’re a business doesn’t mean you should be boring. You want people to feel as if they’re staying in touch with an old friend. That’s why you will hear us say “Be More Human” in almost every conversation.
Engage, engage, engage!
It’s called social media for a reason — you’re supposed to be social. Not only will engaging with your followers improve your visibility, it will also improve your customer relationships. People will get the sense that you care about them. This, in turn, will encourage them to like and comment on more posts.
So if a customer comments and says, “I miss you a lot,” don’t hesitate to like their comment and write back, “We miss you too! We can’t wait to see everyone when we open back up again,” or something along those lines. Bonus points if you’re actually able to make the comment feel personal.
Now is the perfect time to start live video.
You’ve probably noticed that many people are doing live videos on Facebook and Instagram as a way of making themselves feel more connected with others who aren’t physically with them. This is a great excuse for your business to jump on that bandwagon and experiment with live video. You can livestream some of your modified business operations, or you can do a live chat with one of your team members about what they’re doing in isolation.
Teach more, sell less.
This is a time when business is inevitably slow, but you can build your following of loyal customers by simply educating them on your industry or field of expertise. Don’t be promotional — instead, take a chance to share your wisdom. Many people scrolling through social media might be bored of seeing mindless content, and they’ll be excited about the chance to learn something new. Give them the stimulation they’re seeking. They’ll recognize you as an expert, and if they weren’t patronizing you before the world went on lockdown, they definitely will once everything opens back up.